1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to seals and dynamic sealing systems for sealing one or more connected flanges together, or generally a dynamic flange seal and sealing system for flanged components. The present invention more particularly relates to a dynamic flange seal and sealing system capable of forming a dynamic flange seal capable of adjusting with various structural or environmental changes in order to maintain the integrity of the seal existing between two or more connected flanges.
2. Background of the Invention and Related Art
In virtually every conduit or pipe installation where moderate to high pressures and temperatures exist, a problem is encountered when it comes to flange design and usage. Most problems either reside in the actual connection itself, the means used to connect the flanges together, or the seal existing and desired there between. There are presently many flanged components or structures on the market which are attached to other components, pipes, conduits, or the like. The relative size and complexity of these flanges varies with the size of the needed components.
In many high pressure, high temperature systems, seals are used to maintain the pressure in the system. Almost all prior art seals use a gasket between the coupled flanged components. Most of these seals use the force required to secure the flanged components together to also create the seal. This requires many connections to apply enough force over a wide area to eliminate gaps in the seal.
Many gaskets used to provide a seal between connected flanged components are made of an elastic material like rubber, since elastic gaskets can be reused. However, elastic materials, while useful in many settings, are not suited for high pressure, high temperature environments for obvious reasons. Indeed, elastic gaskets typically are utilized only in settings where the temperature is kept below 250 degrees F. In addition, elastic gaskets tend to wear out relatively quickly, especially when subject to extreme conditions. Any degradation of the seal existing between connected flanged components usually means that the system will experience leaks and other failures. For these reasons, elastic gaskets are less than desirable for use in many settings.
Several other settings call for less-elastic, metallic gaskets, since they have many advantages over their elastic counterparts. Metallic gaskets can be used in many extreme environments where higher temperatures and pressures exist. However, because metallic gaskets are less elastic, they cannot generally be reused. Moreover, metallic gaskets are subject to leaks caused by various stresses (and stress relief) and creep.
A few special seals are designed to prevent leaks due to creep and repeated stress. For instance, a Batzer flange, commonly known in the prior art, provides sufficient elastic deflection and seal force to maintain a seal when creep and relief stresses are present. Batzer flanges have a slightly conical flange. The slight deflection in the flange making the conical shape provides the elastic deflection. However, a problem with the Batzer seal is that as the size of the seal increases the flange size must also increase. As such, large seals require abnormally and oftentimes prohibitively large flanges. Also the seal is typically positioned along an edge, which makes the seal more vulnerable to corrosion or damage.